Anteaters Defeat UC Davis in Series Opener

DAVIS, Calif. --- All-American Daniel Bibona held UC Davis to one run and the top third of the Anteater lineup combined for eight RBI as UCI defeated UC Davis, 8-1, Friday at Dobbins Stadium.

Bibona improved to 7-2 after hurling eight innings of three-hit baseball, striking out eight and walking one in the win. The lefty faced one over the minimum, yielding a triple in the Aggie seventh before turning the ball over to Kyle Hooper in the ninth. Hooper pitched a perfect inning to end the game.

Sean Madigan, hitting leadoff, went 3 for 5 with two RBI and two runs scored while Casey Stevenson, hitting in the number two spot, went 4 for 5 with three RBI and two runs scored. Brian Hernandez followed Stevenson and also drove in three runs on 3 for 5 hitting.

Stevenson tripled in the UCI first and scored the game's first run on a grounder to second by Hernandez. The trio struck again in the third. After D.J. Crumlich was hit by the pitch, Madigan singled through the right side, putting runners on first and second with one out for Stevenson, who drove an 0-2 offering from starter Sean Watson up the middle to score Crumlich. Hernandez extended the rally with a line single to center, scoring Madigan and giving UCI a 3-0 lead.

After putting runners on but coming up empty in the middle innings, UCI broke open the game in the eighth. A fielding error by Watson to lead off the inning put Ronnie Shaeffer on first. Watson then hit Francis Larson with the pitch for the second time and pinch hitter Jordan Leyland drove a ball off the foot of Watson for a single, loading the bases. With two outs, Madigan hit a 1-1 pitch past diving first baseman Eric Johnson to score two runs and Stevenson drove in two more with a double to left off reliever David Popkins. Hernandez continued the rally with an RBI single to center as UCI extended its lead to seven.

Watson fell to 1-2 on the season after giving up seven runs (three earned) on 11 hits in 7.2 innings. The left-hander struck out two and did not walk a batter in the outing. Popkins allowed an earned run on two hits in 1.1 innings of work.

The Aggies' lone run came in the seventh as Popkins' grounder would score Scott Heylman, who tripled to right.